Kneeling-board.



No. 701,050. Patented May 27, I002.

w. H. KEERAN.

KNEELING BOARD. (Application filed May 27. 1901.)

(No Model.)

witnesses u i j @Hozmu 8 ma nonms pzrzns co. womumo" WASHINGTON. n. c

ATENi DFFICE.

\VILLIAM H. KEERAN, OF FORT \VAYNE, INDIANA.

KNEELlNG-BOARD.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 701,050, dated May 27, 1902.

Application filed May 27.1901. Serial No. 62,099. (No model.)

To all whom, it may concern:

Be it known that I, WILLIAM H. KEERAN, a citizen of the United States, residing at Fort lVayne, in the county of Allen and State of Indiana, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Kneeling-Boards; and I do declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, and to the characters of reference marked thereon, which form a part of this specification.

My invention relates to kneeling-boards or foot-rests for churches; and its object is to provide one which is adapted to be swung up under the seat of a pew when not in use or be lowered to the floor in the rear of the pew to a position convenient for use as a foot-rest or kneeling-board for the occupants of the next pew.

In carrying out my invention I attach the standard of the kneeling-board to the floor under the pew near the middle portion of the latter and allow the board to extend beyond the standards the full length of the pew and provide a construction whereby the board will be retained in a horizontal position throughout its entire length in being raised or lowered from either end or any pointthereof.

A further object is to provide means to facilitate in raising the board, which means also serves to hold it in either the elevated or lowered position.

With these and other objects in view the invention consists of a swinging kneeling-board pivotally connected to two floor-standards by arms, which are likewise pivotally connected to the kneeling-board, a rod journaled in the standards and rigidly attached to the upper set of arms, so that all parts of the board will move in unison, a spring secured at one end to each of the upper arms and its other end to the floor and adapted to pass upon each side of the pivotal connection of the arms with the standard when the board is raised or lowered.

For a full understanding of the merits and advantages of my invention reference is to be had to the following description and the accompanying drawings, in which- Figure 1 is an end elevation of myim proved kneeling-board under a church-pew, the pew being shown in cross-section and the kneeling-board shown in dotted lines in an elevated position. Fig. 2 is a side elevation of the device in an elevated position. Fig. 3 is a detail of one end of the connecting-rod. Fig. 4 is a face view of one end of one of the upper arms which connects the board to the rod.

Fig. 5 shows a modified form of fastening means for the rod with the upper arms.

In the drawings, 1 designates the pew, having the usual end supports 2, between which are the standards 3, fastened to the floor at a point about intermediate the end of the pew. The kneeling-board 4 is provided with suitable legs 5 and two transverse cleats 6, depending from the bottom of the board upon one side of the two central legs and which cleat and legs afford a fastening means for the arms 7 and 8, hereinafter described. The upper ends of the standards are connected by a rod,

which is j ournaled therein and provided with j an angular boss 10, which engages the angular socket 11 in the end of the upper arms 7. One end of each of the arms 7 is pivotally connected to the cleat 6, as shown at a, and the other end of each arm is fitted upon the angular boss 10 of the rod 9, and as each end of the rod is provided with this angular boss the rod will be rotated the same distance at each end when the kneeling-boardis raised or lowered. The round or journal end 11 of the rod 9 is preferably reduced and provided on its extreme end with screw-threads to receive the clamping-nut b, or it may be held in the standard by a pin instead of the nut.

One end of each of the arms 8 is pivotally connected to the leg of the kneeling-board, as at a, and the other ends pivotally connected with the standard, as at b, and these arms are always parallel with the arm 7 and insures a firm brace for the kneeling-board and prevents it from tilting'forward or backward when it is lowered. The upper arms 7 are each provided with an extension 12 near the standard end of the same, as shown in Fig. 2. To this extension is secured a coil-spring 13, the other end of which is made fast to the floor-standard, and this spring serves to hold the kneeling-board either in an elevated or lowered position, since the board and arms in being raised and lowered will cause the spring arms 7 to the rod 9.

to pass on each side of the pivotal connection of the rod 9 in the standards, and the arms 7, being rigidly secured upon the rod 9, are consequently controlled by the rotation of said rod, so that when the kneeling-board is lowered to the floor, as shown in full lines in Fig. 1, the spring is exerting a downward pressure on the arm 7 in front of the pivotal connection; but when the kneeling-board is thrown up under the pew, as shown by dotted lines in Fig. 1, the spring has passed to the other side of the pivotal connection and is likewise pulling downwardly on the arms 7, which will serve to hold the kneeling-board in its elevated position. It will be seen that the spring also aids in raising the board after a person has lifted the same sufliciently to allow the spring to pass the pivotal connection.

In Fig. 5 I have shown a modified form and an inexpensive manner of securing the upper In this modification I dispense with the angular boss, but provide the arm with a circular socket, which may be fitted upon the round rod 9 and secured thereto by means of a bolt or rivet passing diametricallythroughthearmandtherod. This obviates the necessity of reducing the ends of the rod and makes a simpler construction.

It will be understood that the kneelingboard extends the full length of the pew, but that the standards and the supporting-arms are arranged about the central portion thereof and that the entire board can be raised just as easily by taking hold of one end as by lifting it from the central portion or at a point between the standards, and the board will be always held horizontal and parallel to the floor, because the arms 7 being rigidly fixed .at each end to the rod 9 and this rod being journaled in the standards the rotation of the rod in its journals controls the movement of each arm 7 simultaneously, and the lower .arms 8, always being parallel with the upper arm, will prevent the kneeling-board from tilting.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-- 1. In a device of the class described, avertically swinging kneeling board provided E with suitable legs, a pair of standards at tachedto the floor beneath the pew, a rod connecting the standards, and a pair of arms pivotally connected at one end to the kneeling-board and rigidly fixed to the rod at their other ends.

2. In a device of the class described the combination with a vertically-swinging kneeling-board of floor-standards secured to the floor beneath the pew, a rod journaled in the standards and connecting the same, arms rigidly secured at one end upon the rod and pivotallysecured at their other ends to the kneeling-board and means to prevent the kneelingboard from tilting.

3. In a device of this class described the combination with averticallyswingingkneeling-board extendin g throughoutthelength of a church-pew and adapted to be swungin the rear of or under the pew, of floor-standards 4. The combination with a vertically-swinging kneeling-board, of floor-standards attached to the floor beneath the pew, a rod journaled within and connecting the stand ards, an upper pair of arms pivotally connected at one end to the kneeling-board and their other ends rigidly fixed on the rod and a lower pair of arms pivotally connected at each end to the kneeling-board and standards.

5. In a device of the class described the combination of a vertically-swinging kneeling-board having arms pivotally connected therewith, floor-standards supporting said arms at their other ends and means attached to the arms to hold the board in a raised or lowered position, substantially as specified.

6. In a kneeling-board, a board for kneeling upon, a pair of standards connected to the floor near the central portion of the pew, two pairs of arms connecting the kneelingboard with the standards and means whereby the board is held either in a raised or lowered position, and means to aid in lifting the same.

7. In a kneeling-board, a board for kneeling upon, a pair of standards connected to the floor under the pew at the central portion of the latter, a rod journaled in the standards, a pair of upper arms pivotally connected to the kneeling-board and held rigidly upon the rod, a lower pair of arms pivotally attached at each end to the standard and kneelingboard, a spring, one end of which is attached to the upper pair of arms and the other end connected to the floor-standard, and which spring is adapted to assist in raising the board and hold it in a raised or lowered position.

8. In a kneeling-board, a board for kneeling upon corresponding in longitudinal section to the form of a pew, a pair of standards connected to the floor under the pew at the central portion of the latter, a rod journaled within and connecting the standards and provided with an angular boss, an upper pair of arms pivotally connected at one end to the kneeling-board and the other end fitted on the angular boss, and a pair of lower parallel arms pivotally attached at each end to the kneeling-boards and the standards.

9. In a kneeling-board, a board for kneeling upon corresponding in longitudinal section to the form of a pew, a pair of floor-standards centrally attached under the pew, a rod connecting the standards and adapted to revolve therein and provided near each end with an angular boss, a pair of upper arms pivotally connected at one end to the kneeling-board and the other end provided with an angular socket adapted to fit upon the angular boss, a pair of lower arms pivotally connected at each end to the kneeling-hoard and the standard, and held parallel to the upper arms, whereby the surface of the kneeling board will always be held in a horizontal position, a spring connected to the upper pair of arms and to the floor-standard and adapted I to pass the pivotal connection of the rod with the standards when the board is raised or low- IO ered and hold the board in a raised or lowered position.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

WILLIAM H. KEERAN.

Witnesses:

O. P. EVERSOLE, W. 1. WORK. 

